Queues flowed from the seafront cinema with families and couples hoping to bag a seat for Beauty and the Beast.

A photo posted on the Zetland FM Facebook page shows the line backed up along the prom.

The cinema faced a rocky start to the year when a fault with the projector forced it to close for ten days. Then a planned reopening set in January had to be delayed after storms caused flooding at the back of the building.

But the cinema is now fully back in action.

And people across Teesside were delighted to see it so busy.

Queues outside Redcar's Regent Cinema (Image: Zetland FM)

Dave Conway said: “I drove past there at 4pm couldn’t believe what I saw. Never seen that for many years, long may it continue.”

Katherine Leitch said: “My first job was at the Regent Cinema when the Edwards family had it. Great to see people still supporting it.”

Steven Allan said: “When I have kids I hope they take their kids here and keep the tradition going... wouldn’t be Redcar without the Regent Cinema.”

Annette Granville said: “Oh it brings back memories of Grease and Stars Wars!! It’s great to see a little cinema still going strong!”

Neil Bates has run Redcar’s Regent since 1992. He predicted the showing of Beauty and the Beast would be one of the most popular of the year.

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It began life in the 1920s as the New Pavilion - nicknamed The Glasshouse because it was roofed entirely in glass.

It’s where Larry Grayson, then performing as Billy Breen, coined the catchphrase “Shut That Door” - although Neil tells us Larry nicked it from a manager.

And it’s a place that Neil was on the verge of closing for good - until a major motion picture came to town in 2006 and saved the day.

Neil said: “Without Atonement, we’d have closed, no question. The TV licence was due for renewal and we couldn’t decide whether it was worth doing or not - that’s how close we came. Then Atonement arrived and everything changed.”